Adventures in Fiction
by Weaselkid
Summary: The gang seems to be having more trouble than usual with the XANA attacks since, quite frankly, the teachers are sick of the nurse excuse. Is this new tutor friend or foe to the Lyoko travelers? Where exactly did she come from anyway? U&Y J&A, too!
1. Chapter 1

AN: Hi everybody! This is my first fic I've uploaded so…I hope you like it! I know it was sorta cheap to add my own character, but I think you all will like her in time. The beginning will seem a tad slow but stick with me here and I'll get right into the Lyoko goodness, I promise! crosses heart Review if you like not threats, but flaming irks me so although I understand moodiness, I'd prefer if you do it somewhere else. Thank you!

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Lyoko or anything related to the aforementioned. (Is it strange to have a normal disclaimer?)

A breath of gentle wind lifted her off her feet as a glow of light in the distance grew brighter. She waved a final goodbye to her friends as the light slowly consumed her. She shut her eyes with uneasiness for she was still not accustomed to changing dimensions.

When she did open her eyes, she found herself suspended in air, surrounded by a blue fog and the occasional flash of light. This place gives creeps me out every time… she pondered nervously.

As if on cue, a calming but disembodied voice came into her mind. "_Stacey my child, you have done grand work so far…But I'm afraid your journey is not near end._"

She nodded, but wasn't sure if it could see her. "Uh, okay…where to next, then?" she apprehensively asked trying to sound confident. Just get me out of this place! Please! Stacey thought, but hoped the voice couldn't hear.

The voice echoed in return, "_Open your eyes and you shall see…"_

In an instant, the invisible force keeping her afloat in the air disappeared and she felt gravity return all too quickly. "AHHH-OOF!" Stacey screamed, though thankfully her fall was not from a fatal height.

Even so, she slowly pushed herself up and sat cross-legged on the deciduous forest floor. Stacey inarticulately grumbled as she dusted herself off and set to figuring out her next adventure.

So…I'm still in modern clothes and she paused her thoughts and reached for her backpack. I still have my laptop. I'm probably still in present day. Just in case though… She glanced around to find some deciding factor to tell her location.

Something rustled behind her and she bristled from surprise. Carefully, she turned about and grabbed a sizeable stick to confront…a newspaper. (AN: Ha ha ha!)

"Oh brother," she sighed surprising herself with a different language. "French? That doesn't mean I'm in France though…better make sure."

Stacey flung the stick away in embarrassment and began to read the newspaper. "Let's see…Gazette D'Académie De Kadic…this is in French, too. I can speak it, but can I read it?" Suddenly the letters magically rearranged themselves into her native language, English. She smiled and thought, You know, on any other day, that would have freaked me out.

Stacey stood, reading the catch phrase under the title, "The Pride of Tomorrow's France". She stuffed the newspaper clip in her pocket, wondering what to do next. Just out of curiosity, she checked the wallet she found in her bag for any monetary gifts from the voice. Judging by the number of coins rather than bills she decided a job was in order—and fast.

I guess I could work at this school here. A tutor would the ideal job, but I could stand being a custodian until I figure out who exactly needs help in their adventures here.

-------(AN-This is a scene break, by the way) -------

"Hey, could one of you show me where the principal's office is?" Stacey asked a group of students next to some soda machines.

A girl turned about and pulled her short black hair away from her face. She looked back at her gang and nodded. "Sure, right this way. Be back in a minute guys," she said after a quick analysis of the newcomer.

"Thanks a lot. I would have asked for directions instead, but I think I'd just end up forgetting them," Stacey said, hoping to start a conversation.

The girl only nodded, hardly acknowledging her. Stacey's smile faded slightly and considered ways to open her up a little. Unfortunately, she dived too deep into thought and ran into a door that was just being open. SMACK

"Oh my Goodness, are you all right?" the girl asked, turning around.

"Yeah," Stacey replied rubbing her nose. "It stings a little, but mostly my pride is the only injury."

The girl smiled and exhaled a considerable amount of worry for her _own_ well-being. They walked for a bit before the girl asked, "By the way, are you a new student here?"

"Huh? Oh no, I graduated early. I was actually looking for a job as a tutor," Stacey explained, a little surprised at the girl's sudden willingness to talk. She continued to follow, and checked under her nose to see if it was bleeding.

"I see. Be careful, if you get a student named 'Odd,' be prepare for a difficult lesson ahead," she warned with a hearty laugh.

"Is he a friend of yours?" Stacey queried.

"Yeah, he's a grade younger than I am, but I have quite a few 7th grade friends for some reason. I guess they seem more mature than some stuck up upper class men I know."

Stacey nodded with a grin as she tried to remember if they turned left or right at the last crossroads. Oh well, if I get lost again, I'll just find some other nice kid… she thought, defeated

"Here we are Ms…"

"Oh my Gosh I can't believe I didn't introduce myself! I'm Stacey Davolt, but you can call my Stacey."

"My name's Ishiyama, Yumi Ishiyama. It was a pleasure meeting you," Yumi introduced, bowing out of habit. "Oops, sorry wrong culture…"

"Oh so you are from Japan! How cool! I started to wonder about your name and…" Stacey stopped her rambling and cleared her throat. "Sorry, I tend to digress sometimes. Thanks again, it was so nice to meet you," she finished, extending her hand.

Yumi hesitated, but shook it. "See you around Stacey!"

---(AN-It'll get bettermaybe in chap. 2... Don't give up!) ---

After a brisk walk, Yumi returned to her friends. "False alarm guys. She's not a X.A.N.A. creation."

"Oh good, I was afraid the super scan was on the fritz again," Jeremie replied with relief.

"Yeah, and I was afraid computer programs were starting to look attractive!" Odd joked, wiping imaginary sweat from his forehead.

They all laughed, but Yumi set him straight. "Forget it Odd, Stacey's way out of your league. She already graduated high school!"

"Yeah go ahead and joke, but I still don't trust her. Out of all the kids in the courtyard, she targeted us to take her to the office," Ulrich reasoned, crossing his arms with defiance. The others quieted and pondered curiously.

"It's sad how paranoid we've become after so many attacks. It makes you wonder if XANA is winning after all," Aelita suggested with sagely advice.

"Aelita's right, she's innocent until proven guilty," Jeremie backed her up.

"Whatever! But you can't say I didn't warn you!" Ulrich yelled before stalking off.

"Ulrich wait man!" Odd called to receive no response. He began to follow, but Yumi stopped him.

"I'll go after him. I was the one to talk to Stacey after all."

AN: I know, I know, still boring, but first chapters usually are! With character introduction and such… I'm sorry, I'll see if I can send the gang to Lyoko next chapter! Thanks for reading!


	2. Intros!

AN: Aloha my valued readers! I'm afraid to post more, but I shall continue anyhow! Oh yeah, and sorry for the minor errors in the last chapter, my mistake. Anyway, in this chapter is mostly character development… Chapter three will have some good Action/Adventure though, as promised! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Lyoko or affiliates. (Do I have to have a disclaimer for every chapter?)

"Good afternoon sir, my name is Stacey Davolt. I'm sorry for walking-in like this, but I'm afraid I had no other choice. My plane arrived much later than planned."

"Yes, yes, nice meeting you. Now what is it you needed, Ms. Davolt?" Principal Delmas asked, almost blowing her off. (AN: He had just promised to give Sissi an advance in her allowance and he's a little miffed.)

"Well, sir, I was hoping to get a job here as a tutor," Stacey explained, pulling out a portfolio containing her résumé. Thank goodness they gave me that much…

"No, I'm sorry we aren't accepting any new staff members at the moment. Th-" he moved to stand and show her out, but she remained firmly in her seat.

"Wait, before you decline, please glance at this," Stacey requested, with a determined air.

"Very well," Principal Delmas grudgingly accepted. However, he kept her quiet tenacity in mind.

Stacey watched him turn his head back and forth and wondered if he was shaking no, or reading her accomplishments.

"My, my, you have some impressive credentials here for someone so young. Let's see top ten percent out of a class of 1100…2 years experience of informal tutoring, 3 years experience of professional, a letter grade increase in every case…" He looked over at this semester's averages, inconspicuously. "Very admirable indeed…" Mr. Delmas said absently, thinking more of the school's image than anything else.

Stacey swallowed nervously and refrained from wringing her hands. Even so, she couldn't help but bite the inside of her lip.

"And you came from America?"

"Yes sir. Before I go to college I wanted to venture out on a world excursion. My parents also thought it would be a good idea for the exposure and so I'd be the same age as my fellow college-goers when I returned.

"Hm…" the principal mumbled. "Let's discuss this further over coffee, shall we?"

--------------------(AN: It's a page break!) --------------------

Light sparkled through the foliage as a slight breeze shifted the leaves in a calming melody. A sneeze disrupted the peace off to Yumi's right, catching her attention.

"Hey Ulrich," Yumi greeted softly, sitting down next to him.

Ulrich stubbornly turned away, but Yumi persisted. "Ulrich I agree with you-and we'll watch her-but I spoke with her myself!" She leaned over to look him in the eyes, but he avoided her gaze.

She sat back against the wall and rolled her eyes. "Listen, Stacey's voice was natural and she even felt pain! Not to mention displayed anxiety and joy, and you know how bad XANA is at faking that," Yumi explained, poking his arm.

Ulrich unwillingly smiled, though it was probably from contact with her rather than what she said. "Yeah, I guess so…there was no tower activated either. And besides, we've battled sewer rats and armor come to life, he shouldn't be any problem for the likes of us." He puffed out his chest and put his hand over his heart.

Yumi grinned as she recalled all of their experiences together. "Promise we'll always fight together?"

Ulrich was taken aback at first, but he nodded with a confident smirk. And then his phone rang.

--------------------(AN: Preview of fluff to come!) --------------------

"Well, Ms. Davolt, our budget can't spare much, but I believe you will make a great addition to the staff." The principal extended his hand and finished, "Welcome aboard."

Stacey energetically accepted, "Thank you sir! I sincerely appreciate this opportunity!"

"Do you have any questions?"

"Actually, about dress code, I usually wear fairly casual clothes to help the students feel less intimidated, is that a problem?"

"I don't see why as long as you remain within the student dress code and wear your name-badge," the principal nodded, cradling his coffee cup.

"Okay," Stacey visibly bit her lip at her accidental slang. "And if at all possible, I'd like to be a boarder also to feel more at the students' level. I would definitely be willing to take a cut in wages as payment." Despite a guaranteed position, she started to wring her hands in worry. Ah! I over did it!

Principal Delmas stared in disbelief at first and asked, "Are you certain?"

She nodded vigorously and added, "Absolutely." All of what she said was true, but on top of that, she couldn't afford to live in an apartment or buy clothes yet.

"How can I deny such a dedicated employee? Everything will be set in order as soon as we return. When would it be suitable for you to begin?"

Stacey smiled inwardly and replied, "As soon as possible. Did you have someone in mind, Principal?"

---------(AN: Maybe one review would be nice, even if it just says 'good.')--------

"Yeah Jeremie what's up?" Ulrich asked after answering the phone. "Oh is that all? Got it, thanks for the warning."

"What's going on Ulrich?" Yumi questioned.

"Sissi's on the move, come on," Ulrich announced, waving her along by the hand.

"How could they know that she was heading towards us unless…they were spying on us!" Yumi reasoned a little embarrassed but mostly bothered.

"Wha? Why would they do that?"

In the distance, the rest of the gang waves vehemently and screams "NO THE OTHER WAY!" Aelita paused and asked Jeremie, "This isn't working is it?"

"No, they're too wrapped up in each other…LOOK BEHIND YOU!"

Before Ulrich and Yumi could stutter through an awkward silence, an all too familiar voice interrupted. "Hello Ulrich, can we talk?" Sissy asked, hooking his arm casually.

"Uh-"

"Hi Sissi, how are you doing?" Yumi politely counters. After all, ruthlessness didn't seem to work against her.

She gave Yumi an appraising look (never removing her grip on Ulrich) with an attitude of superiority. "Oh I didn't see you there, excuse me," Sissi said, blowing her off.

Ulrich gulped with difficulty, for he had never faced such a foe as women. Every beast on Lyoko paled in comparison to the wrath of the female. He could almost sense the tensions rising. "Uh, how about we just –-" They averted their death glares to him and he hardly managed a "Never mind".

"Oh good! Yumi would you happen to know someone named Sissi Delmas?" Stacey inquired innocently.

"Hi Stacey, you're in luck, she's right here," Yumi muttered through grit teeth, never looking away from her opposition.

"Excellent! I'm Stacey Davolt Ms. Delmas! It's a pleasure to meet you! Your father requested me to tutor you," Stacey explained, grabbing her hand to shake it, (incidentally pulling her away form Ulrich in the process.)

Sissi blinked in shock but quickly recovered, when she heard giggles from behind her. Granted school was over and most kids had cleared out, but no laughter went unnoticed especially if it was aimed at her. "You must be mistaken, I don't need a—"

"Oh no, I believe you posses a vast amount of knowledge already! And if we can't find anything to refine, we can still share these chocolates I just bought! Whaddya say?" Stacey excitedly asked, pulling out the box of expensive Ghiradelli chocolates from her bag. (She was always big on assisting egos.)

"Free chocolate? Why not? I'll be in my dorm. It's the one two doors past the elevator. Be there on time, or I'll see to it you will have a difficult time here." Sissi stalked off smugly, chastising anyone in her way.

"Wow Stacey nice going!" Yumi congratulated, high-fiving with her.

"Thanks! For what?" Stacey asked, clueless.

"For getting rid of Sissi for us," Yumi explained.

"Oh, is she the pestering type?"

"That's an understatement," Ulrich mumbled.

"I guess that makes sense since she's the principal's daughter…but I'm sure she's a kind person on the inside," Stacey insisted, ever optimistic.


	3. Tutoring

AN: Heh, sorry for the wait everyone! I had to write and English speech and you know how that is. Anyhow, I apologize still no action yet, but if you pay attention you might find some foreshadowing! Enojoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Lyoko and stuff. (Wow, I'm getting less and less formal…I wonder why…)

Chapter 3

What was I thinking! Sissi thought, tossing a pillow onto her bed. This showboating idiot thinks she can teach me something.

"She'll be just like the others, I know-"

A knock at the door interrupted her whining and she rushed to stuff the rest of her laundry in the closet. She cracked the door just enough to see a beaming Stacey waving at her. "You're early," Sissi growled in an attempt to erase Stacey's smile.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't wait to get started! Are you ready?"

Sissi stared showing no response, though she was slightly bothered by her tutor's enthusiasm. "Yes, let's get this over with."

"Great!" Stacey replied, walking in. "Wow, this is really cozy! I figured the dorms would be kinda dreary, but you've really added style to it!"

Sissi remained quiet as she sat in her chair, pulling out her homework. It had been a long time someone complimented her before she pointed it out to them first.

"I should have you decorate mine!" Stacey added, looking around.

"WHAT?" Sissi exclaimed, spinning around in her chair.

"Well I'd pay you, of course. Oh, I didn't mention that I'm going to board here, did I? This way I can help you guys all the time!"

Sissi gulped. Tutoring everyday!

"Can I sit here?" Stacey asked.

"No," she simply replied, hoping to dampen her enthusiasm.

"Okay. Standing's good," Stacey said, unperturbed. She set her backpack on the floor next to Sissi's desk and retrieved the chocolate box. After several layers of plastic, she finally managed to open the box.

"Here we are! You pick the first one Mademoiselle Delmas," Stacey offered.

"Shouldn't we start first?" Sissi skeptically stared.

"We can, if you insist…"

"Never mind," she responded quickly grabbing a white morsel.

"Did I pick the good stuff?"

"Eh, it's okay. I've had better. At least it doesn't have liquor in it," Sissi said, never satisfied.

"I'm not too fond of those myself. I always prefer the gooey stuff, like in Snickers®…ah what's the word…" (AN: I don't own Mars Inc. either but I think I own one or two Snickers® bars.)

"Nougat?"

"Yeah that's it! How about you? Your favorite type of chocolate I mean," Stacey asked, glad they were at least talking.

"I mostly prefer milk chocolate, but the occasionally dark chocolate is okay."

Stacey nodded as she swallowed. "I know what you mean. After a couple of dark pieces, I start to look for something sweeter."

They continued to munch in silence until Stacey decided to walk on thin ice. "So…who was that guy with you earlier? He seemed fairly level-headed."

"His name is Ulrich Stern. He's my-uh-boyfriend," Sissi lied, to see how it felt to say it out loud.

"Really? He's in seventh then? How long have you been going out?" Stacey asked, genuinely curious.

Sissi bit her lip. No authority figure had trusted her so unconditionally in a very long time, if at all. "Well, we aren't dating but…" She looked away. "Yeah, he's in seventh."

Stacey nodded with a toothless smile since she had just put a chocolate in her mouth. She decided to thoroughly chew the almond rather than asking more questions.

Sissi saw no judgment is Stacey's eyes and felt like crying. "Why haven't you sat down yet? Sheesh!" she exclaimed to mask her emotion.

(Scene Break!)

"Well, Ulrich? Does that prove it to you?"

"I don't know, XANA's never tried to make a hyperactive person before. Maybe he's found something he's good at," he answered

"Yes, because that's an easy characteristic to mimic," Yumi sarcastically, earning light laughter. (AN: The gang saw the incident earlier.)

"Well anyway, I'd better get home. So long guys," Yumi announced with a wave.

Goodbyes ensued as she walked off, but the gentleman in Ulrich wouldn't stand for it. "Hey, why don't we make an excursion and walk her home?"

"Sounds like fun! I'll get Kiwi," Odd agreed. He ran in the direction of the dorms.

"Yumi, wait!" Ulrich called, running up next to her.

"I don't see why not. What do you say Jeremie?" Aelita asked.

"I think I could use a break from the stresses of Lyoko," Jeremie decided after a brief pause.

Odd returns with a squirming backpack and they dash to catch up with Yumi.

"What're you going to say if someone asks about that?" Ulrich questioned.

"Oh I don't know…something along the lines of forgetting about some leftover cafeteria dessert and releasing it into the wild. What do you think?" he replies, mocking seriousness.

"Sounds like something you'd say Odd," Jeremie scoffed, though everyone else laughed. Though, he eventually started to laugh, too.

The gang playfully reminisces about past Kiwi adventures or rather fiascos as they continue on their journey. The sidewalk narrows and the group splits into pairs.

Yumi, who paced next to Ulrich, took notice of something extraordinarily unusual just ahead where Odd and Kiwi walked.

(Scene Break!)

"Okay…what do you picture when you hear 'noble'?" Stacey queried, glancing at Sissi's assignment.

"Like royalty. Kings and queens, all that jazz," Sissi replied, skeptical about where this was going.

"Yes, leadership! Now are good rulers wishy-washy, or—"

"No, they're strong in their opinions and don't give up."

"Perfect! I knew you understood this stuff. The Noble gasses are named so because they are very _stable_ and don't like to bond or in other words, _give up_ electrons!"

Sissi sat in a stunned silence, she had just learned more in twenty minutes than in her entire science period. "Are you serious? Tell me how to remember the other group! What is it…the Alkali metals?"

Stacey beamed at Sissi success and eagerness, however just before answering…

KNOCK KNOCK

"Ah, here you two are," Principal Delmas said, after inviting himself in since there was no immediate answer. ""Ms. Davolt may I speak with you for a minute?"

"Daddy no! The Periodic Table is starting to make sense!"

"Sissi please it will only be a minute—"

Sissi huffed and indignity and fiercely turned away.

Principal Delmas blinked in confusion and wondered if Sissi was faking enthusiasm this time before continuing. "Uh yes, Ms. Davolt. I'm afraid we've had a slight delay with your room and—"

A tremendous thud echoed in the hallway followed by a "YEOW!" from Jim.

The principal winced with a slight grimace before saying, "I hope this isn't too much of a problem."

(Scene break!)

Yumi knew this irregular scene had to be pointed out. "Wow Odd, I've never seen Kiwi on a leash before, " Yumi commented.

"Yeah well, my parents just sent me a letter saying the neighbor's dog, Orange, got hit by a car during a walk."

"I'm sorry. I guess it's not doing well, then…"

Odd shook his head and continued, "I'm not too sad though. Kiwi's mom had a good long life."

A few feet back, Jeremie and Aelita lingered.

"Jeremie, what's the gravity constant again? For some reason I can only remember the standard conversion rather than metric," Aelita asked, with her hands behind her back.

"9.81 meters per second, why?"

"I was curious if it was the same on Lyoko," she replied, coyly.

"Is it?" he asked, preferring not to recall the one time he did venture there.

"I wouldn't think so. I try jumping here and I can hardly get off the ground let alone perform acrobatic flips."

"That is true…and the overboard wouldn't work here either."

"Is this 'nerd talk'," Aelita queried, out of the blue.

"Huh?"

"Nerd talk. I heard Sissi use the phrase and didn't have time to look it up."

"I prefer "cerebral chat" which I'm certain Sissi has participated in."

They smile and continue with their "cerebral chat".

Meanwhile up ahead…

"Good afternoon Ms. Maupassant, how is Fritz?" Yumi politely asked the elderly passer-by.

The bespectacled woman with a slight hunch from age slowed and looked across the street to acknowledge the greeting. "Oh Yumi it's you!" she responded with a strong voice despite a frail appearance. (Though she pronounced it "Yummy".) "As you can see Fritz is just fine, perhaps on the fat side, but still invaluable to my health."

The dog looked harried, but hopped happily once the kids crossed the street, hoping they'd spare some attention. Ulrich was the first oblige by kneeling to the dog's height. "He's a friendly puppy, how old is he?"

"I used to know, but I can't recall how I ever got along without him. That's why I recently invested in one of those Find-a-Collar gadgets, in case he decided to go AWOL."

"What beautiful fur. Is he a Spitz, Ms. Maupassant?" Aelita questioned admiring the dog.

"Oh no, he's not a camel dear," the lady replied, misinterpreting her question.

Yumi stopped Aelita from correcting her and smiled. "It was nice talking with you Ms. M! Take care of yourself!"

"What a pleasant lady," Aelita commented as they parted ways.

"The dog was, too. He didn't even give Kiwi a second thought. You see most dogs think he's second breakfast," Odd explained, earning a sniff from Kiwi.

And so, the Ishiyami residence heard generous laughter just outside.


	4. A predicament!

AN: I'll try to be more consistent on posting. I've had it written, I just haven't typed everything up… Anyway, on with the story!

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Lyoko characters, settings, etc…

Stacey took a while to answer, or at least it seemed like it to her. "No, it's not a problem at all. I can wait a couple days for my room." Her shoulders slumped slightly, but she held her composure.

"Very well. What is the hotel number I can reach you at?" Principal Delmas inquired.

"Uh, well, how about I give you my cell phone number instead?" she stuttered. As she recited the number, her worry grew. Where am I going to go until then?

THE NEXT DAY

"Okay Ulrich, this one's tricky now. The atomic symbol 'K' stands for…" Jeremie quizzed, placing a tiny box of cereal on his tray.

"Potassium!" Odd blurted out after a couple seconds.

"Would you stop that Odd! I was going to say that!" Ulrich grumbled, grabbing a carton of milk.

"All right then Odd, if you feel so confident, what does 'Hg' stand for?" Jeremie asked.

"Mercury! That one's easy because H.G.Wells wrote The War of the Worlds where aliens invade the Earth!"

"The aliens were from Mars weren't they?" Aelita asked, confused at his roundabout logic.

"Yeah, but so what? Mercury and Mars both start with an 'm' and I know 'Mars' isn't an element," Odd explained mostly to Aelita since everyone else tuned out his ramblings.

"Sounds like this Stacey chick must really be something to help Odd. Especially in the time span of one dinner," Ulrich concluded, taking a seat at their usual table.

"I guess all he needed was a different learning style…" Jeremie said, shaking his head as Odd described another memory trick.

"'Cd' or Cadmium is spelled c-a-d-m-i-u-m as in 'mi' like 'cd'!" (AN: Crazy I know, but I always misspelled Cadmium and this helped me remember it.)

-----------------(Scene Break!)------------------

Yumi stepped out on the porch and stretched. She took in the brisk morning air and the melodic chirps of the birds before unfurling the watering hose to tend the flowers, as she did every morning.

Unbeknownst to her, a stalker drew closer upon its prey, with copious amounts of saliva coating its pearly fangs. With a low growl it approached with padded footsteps.

Yumi continued casually, pausing to yawn before turning on the water. Her focus drifted from homework assignments to the contents of her backpack, while absently showering the gladiolas and moss flowers.

It pounced.

-----------------(Scene Break!)------------------

An urgent but faint beeping noise halted all laughter and the gang fell silent as Jeremie pulled out his laptop.

"Maybe we can take care of this before class, let's go." Jeremie said hopefully.

Everyone nodded in agreement. Odd stuffed what he could in his mouth and the rest in his pocket while Ulrich discreetly called Yumi on his cell.

AN: I know it's shorter, but I wanted to try leaving cliffhanger. I'll post more, sooner than this one, I promise. I hope you liked it! Maybe I should put in more description…


	5. Ulrich's Realization

AN: I'm not exactly fond of Daylight Saving Time… At least not yet. Anyway, I will at least get everyone to Lyoko now! Oh and you guys should probably know that this takes place before XANA escapes but after Jeremie deciphers Franz Hopper's diaries. I know there's not much of a time span there, but just pretend. Oh and thanks for the reviews everyone, it is highly appreciated! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Lyoko.

Yumi quickly sidestepped to face the entity and sprayed it with the hose at full blast. She mentally thanked her brother for not doing his chores yesterday, leaving the lawn littered with noisy leaves.

When the beast turned she was shocked to find the perpetrator was Fritz. "But Fritz is so nice. Maybe its—" Yumi's thoughts were interrupted when Fritz charged a second time.

This time, she grabbed his collar as he passed her. He yanked and tugged forward in an attempt to escape, drops of saliva spraying the lawn. Finally, the collar snapped.

------------------(Scene Break) ------------------

"She's not answering! What if XANA attacked _her_!" Ulrich cried.

"Relax, she's not one to go down easily. But go help her if you want, I can take care of things on Lyoko," Odd consoled, halfway in the sewer drain.

Ulrich shook his head looking down the forest path in hopes of finding Yumi. "Three's not enough anymore! If one goes to help another whoever is left can't defend Aelita!" he shouted, punching a tree in a fit of rage. He spun around, but no one was left to hear.

------------------(Scene Break) ------------------

Fritz shook off the water as he stared down Yumi. He trotted up to her with utmost calm and sat at her feet, waiting to be petted.

Yumi blinked in confusion before lifting up the collar for closer inspection. In the green display screen XANA's symbol throbbed. Without hesitation she rushed inside to say goodbye to her parents and rushed to the factory.

------------------(Scene Break) ------------------

"Virtualization!" Jeremie routinely announced.

As Odd and Aelita appeared on the desolate arctic desert, seemingly getting sewn together on the spot, Jeremie frantically drummed his keyboard. "Uh, right vehicles," he commented to himself more than anybody.

"Thank you monsieur Einstein! Hey keep quizzing me, I've got to stay sharp after all," Odd said, flipping backward onto his over board.

"As confident as I am in you abilities, I'd appreciate it if you concentrate on the here and now, Odd," Aelita tactfully suggested, stepping onto the over wing.

"Oh all right, I suppose I could concentrate, for a couple minutes anyhow."

"Odd you're making me nervous…" Jeremie said, expanding his screen so he could direct them to the tower. "The tower is to the northwest, can you see it?"

"Crystal clear but no monsters within sight," she replied.

"They're on the other side of the tower, be careful Aelita," Jeremie warned, letting his thoughts materialize into words, without realizing it.

"Don't worry, I'll be okay," Aelita responded confidently.

"Don't mind me, I'll just be slighted in my own little corner, here…" Odd commented, with a smile.

"Oh yeah, don't get yourself killed, Odd," Jeremie added with no real enthusiasm.

"Thanks, Einstein. You know you're getting really good at the whole sarcasm thing."

AN: Okay, a little short, but think of it this way: it's not a cliffhanger! Thanks again for reviewing! I'll try to get another chapter up within the week. Oh and would you all happen to know the boys' rooms are upstairs or downstairs? I thought they were upstairs, but I can't remember…


End file.
